The primary and most significant movement of 1930 in India was the Civil Disobedience Movement.
This pivotal campaign for India's independence was formally launched by Mahatma Gandhi on April 6, 1930. Its initiation followed his historic Dandi March, a 240-mile trek from his ashram in Sabarmati to the coastal village of Dandi.
Key aspects of the Civil Disobedience Movement's commencement in 1930 include:
- Breaking the Salt Law: The movement began with Mahatma Gandhi's symbolic act of producing salt from seawater, thereby directly defying the British Salt Law. This law monopolized salt production and heavily taxed an essential commodity for all Indians, making its defiance a powerful symbol of colonial oppression.
- Widespread Participation: Following Gandhi's lead, the act of civil disobedience spread rapidly across the nation. People began to openly violate other British laws, boycott foreign goods, refuse to pay taxes, and resign from government services.
- Arrests and Repression: The British colonial government responded with force, leading to the widespread arrest of national leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi himself, and countless other participants throughout India. Despite the repression, the movement gained immense momentum and garnered significant international attention.
The Civil Disobedience Movement marked a critical phase in India's struggle for self-rule, mobilizing a broad spectrum of the population and challenging British authority on an unprecedented scale.
